Quick Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce

Who doesn’t love a great tomato sauce, especially when it’s full of authentic Italian flavors? We’re crazy about this sauce recipe because it’s not only delicious, but it cooks up super fast. Don’t get us wrong, slow-cooked sauces that simmer all afternoon are perfect on the weekends, but when time allows, we can also whip up a batch of this during the week and it tastes better than any jar we’d grab at the supermarket.

We like to add some sugar to our sauce; it’s easy for the acidity of the tomatoes to overwhelm everything else, but that’s why we add a little bit of sugar to balance things out. We like to serve this sauce on top of spaghetti but we also love it for dipping – a few slices of warm garlic bread should do the trick! And we usually make a double batch so we can freeze some homemade pasta sauce to use down the road. We know how easy it is to grab a jar of sauce from the store, but give this recipe a try. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make a homemade pasta sauce.

Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce
30min to prepare; 20min to cook; serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 medium white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onions, salt and pepper, and sauté until onions are translucent and carrots are softened. Add garlic and cook until garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Turn heat up to high and pour crushed tomatoes into pan. Stir in basil. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in sugar and reduce heat to simmer, 5-7 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in parsley and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat to taste, and adjust salt as needed.